Rethinking diagrammatic iconicity from an evolutionary perspective
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Toshio Ohori
Abstract
This paper reexamines the notion of diagrammatic iconicity in grammar, i.e. the isomorphism of relational structure across form and meaning. After a quick survey of the various definitions of diagrammatic iconicity, some illustrations are given from coordinating constructions. It is shown that grammatical (a)symmetry in the expression of complex events corresponds to conceptual (a)symmetry. Next, diagrammatic iconicity is examined from an evolutionary viewpoint. Based on two considerations, namely, (i) that diagrammatic iconicity in grammar presupposes the bifurcation of form and meaning, and (ii) that analogical mapping between linguistic form and cognitive experience is a product of highly evolved cognitive capacity, it is claimed that diagrammatic iconicity is by no means “primitive” but a crucial species-specific trait of human language.
Abstract
This paper reexamines the notion of diagrammatic iconicity in grammar, i.e. the isomorphism of relational structure across form and meaning. After a quick survey of the various definitions of diagrammatic iconicity, some illustrations are given from coordinating constructions. It is shown that grammatical (a)symmetry in the expression of complex events corresponds to conceptual (a)symmetry. Next, diagrammatic iconicity is examined from an evolutionary viewpoint. Based on two considerations, namely, (i) that diagrammatic iconicity in grammar presupposes the bifurcation of form and meaning, and (ii) that analogical mapping between linguistic form and cognitive experience is a product of highly evolved cognitive capacity, it is claimed that diagrammatic iconicity is by no means “primitive” but a crucial species-specific trait of human language.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
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General
- Three paradigms of iconicity research in language and literature 13
- Iconicity of logic - and the roots of "iconicity" concept 35
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Sound Meets Meaning
- Iconic inferences about personality 57
- Phonemes as images 71
- Synaesthetic sound iconicity 93
- What’s in a mimetic? 109
- Iconicity in the syntax and lexical semantics of sound-symbolic words in Japanese 125
- A corpus-based semantic analysis of Japanese mimetic verbs 143
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Language Meets Literature
- Iconicity in translation 163
- The days pass … 185
- Visual, auditory, and cognitive iconicity in written literature 207
- Don’t read too much into the runes 219
-
Grammar Meets Iconicity
- Iconicity in question 241
- Rethinking diagrammatic iconicity from an evolutionary perspective 259
- Author index 275
- Subject index 277
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
-
General
- Three paradigms of iconicity research in language and literature 13
- Iconicity of logic - and the roots of "iconicity" concept 35
-
Sound Meets Meaning
- Iconic inferences about personality 57
- Phonemes as images 71
- Synaesthetic sound iconicity 93
- What’s in a mimetic? 109
- Iconicity in the syntax and lexical semantics of sound-symbolic words in Japanese 125
- A corpus-based semantic analysis of Japanese mimetic verbs 143
-
Language Meets Literature
- Iconicity in translation 163
- The days pass … 185
- Visual, auditory, and cognitive iconicity in written literature 207
- Don’t read too much into the runes 219
-
Grammar Meets Iconicity
- Iconicity in question 241
- Rethinking diagrammatic iconicity from an evolutionary perspective 259
- Author index 275
- Subject index 277
